Method for adding context to communications

ABSTRACT

A method for augmenting communications between called and calling parties with context information helps either or both parties decide whether and how to accept or initiate a communications event.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates generally to identification ofcalled and calling parties to each other, and more specifically toproviding information to called and calling parties indicating thecontext of a communication event.

[0002] In the field of communications, there has been a trend towardproviding users with increased functionality to better manage andcontrol their communication media. For example, in telephony, manyservice providers offer caller identification and caller name servicesto their customers. These services allow the called party to see thephone number and name of the calling party before answering thetelephone. Based on this limited information, the called party candecide whether to answer the call.

[0003] Simply providing the caller's phone number and name, however,often does not provide enough information for the called party todetermine whether to answer the call. Suppose, for example, the callerinformation indicates that John Doe is calling from a New York number.Unless the called party knows John Doe, this information is not helpfulin deciding to accept or decline the call.

[0004] Also, current systems provide no information to a calling partyabout a person to be called. There may be instances in which a party tobe called does not wish to be disturbed, or only wishes to be disturbedfor emergencies. The existing network does not provide a mechanism forsending this information to a calling party so that the calling partycan make a decision as to whether to place the call.

[0005] In light of the foregoing, there is a need for a method toprovide calling and called party context information to help them betterdecide whether and how to initiate or accept communications.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] Accordingly, methods consistent with the present inventionsubstantially obviate the problems and disadvantages that accompanycurrent communications systems. Current communications systems provideonly limited information about to a called party about a calling partyand even less information about a calling party to a called party. Thisinformation usually consists only of the calling party's number and/orname. This limited information, however, often will not allow the calledor calling party to make an informed decision as to whether and how toaccept the call. The present invention solves this problem by providingcontext information to the called or calling parties.

[0007] Specifically, a method consistent with this invention includesreceiving a request from a calling party to establish a communicationslink with a called party, gathering context information, providing thegathered context information to the called party, receiving anindication from the called party whether to establish the communicationslink, and establishing the communications link between the calling partyand the called party or not based on the indication.

[0008] Another method consistent with this invention includes receivinga request from a calling party to establish a communications link with acalled party, gathering context information, providing the gatheredcontext information to the calling party, receiving an indication fromthe calling party as to whether to establish the communications link,and establishing the communications link between the calling party andthe called party or not based on the indication.

[0009] Other features and advantages of the invention will be set forthin the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from thedescription, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Theobjectives and other advantages of the invention will be realized andattained by the methods and apparatus particularly pointed out in thewritten description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.

[0010] Both the foregoing general description and the following detaileddescription are exemplary and explanatory only, and are intended toprovide further explanation of the invention as claimed. Theaccompanying drawings provide a further understanding of the inventionand are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification.They illustrate embodiments of the invention, and together with thedescription serve to explain the principles of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011]FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing a method for providing contextinformation to a called party consistent with the present invention;

[0012]FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a method for providing contextinformation to a calling party consistent with the present invention;and

[0013]FIG. 3 is a diagram of a network configuration for implementing asystem consistent with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferredembodiments consistent with the invention, an example of which isillustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the samereference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to thesame or like parts.

[0015] Context information is information relating to the parties to acommunication event or relating to the communication event itself.Unlike traditional caller ID and caller name services, contextinformation is dynamic; it can vary from call to call. Contextinformation can be valuable to both calling and called parties.Generally, a calling party can add context information to the name andnumber identification that the service provider will deliver to thecalled party. This added information can inform the called party aboutthe context of that particular call to help decide whether and how toaccept the call. Context information can be set by a called party, too.Called party context information would be sent to the calling party as anetwork predial information window. The information would allow thecalling party to make a more informed decision as to whether and how toplace the call.

[0016] A. Calling Party Context Identification

[0017] As shown in FIG. 1, calling party context identification beginswith a request from a calling party to establish a communication linkwith a called party (step 10). Such a request would take different formsdepending on the communication medium. If the calling party is using ananalog display services interface (“ADSI”) phone, for example, he wouldmerely dial the number of called party. If the calling party is using acomputer to communicate over the internet, he would enter the email orIP address of the called party. In response to such a request, thenetwork gathers context information (steps 11, 12, and 13). Preferably,calling party context identification can be gathered from one or more ofthree sources: automatic creation (step 11), standard options selection(step 12), and/or full custom creation (step 13).

[0018] 1. Automatic Creation

[0019] A network can automatically create context information bycollecting data already in its possession and sending it to the calledparty. One benefit of this method of creating context information isthat the called party need not perform any additional steps when placinga call to send the context information. For exampie, suppose the callingparty returns a call left by the called party in a specific messagingenvironment such as voice mail, electronic mail, internet voice, videomessaging, paging, fax, or a shared work file. The network, then, hascontext information indicating who left the message, at what time anddate, and possibly information relating to the subject of the message.When the calling party returns the call, the network could send thatcontext information to the called party. The called party would thenknow not only the identity of the calling party, but also that thecalling party was returning a message left at a certain time and date.

[0020] It would also be possible for the network to create contextinformation automatically even when no prior context exists between theparties if the calling party places a call from a specific messagingenvironment. For example, suppose the calling party initiates a callwithin an application having a “corporate directory” of numbers. Thecontext information would indicate to the called party that the call isfrom a business colleague.

[0021] The network can also collect information relating to whether thecalling party is placing a call using a network custom calling feature.For example, telephone companies offer features such as call return andthree-way conferencing. If the called party uses one of these features,the context information would indicate to the called party that the callis a return call or that the call is a conference call and who isalready connected.

[0022] If the calling party places a call from a remote location (e.g.,from a cellular phone), the network can automatically create contextinformation from the geographic location of the caller, such as thelocal subscriber's name of the locale where the call is placed, thenearest end office switching area where the call is being placed, or thecell site name. If a wireless device is GPS (Global Positioning System)compatible, the network can match GPS data to a location translationtable. Alternatively, smart room information transmitters in certainrooms or buildings could provide specific location information to thenetwork, which could, in turn, provide this information as contextinformation to the called party.

[0023] 2. Standard Options Selection

[0024] Standard options selection allows the calling party to selectfrom a number of calling options. The options can be pre-determined bythe service provider or created by the user at the installation stage.To implement this context information, the calling party could select acoding scheme before dialing. Using selectable soft-keys, special starcodes, menu options, voice commands, or other mechanisms, the callingparty can choose from context information options.

[0025] For example, the calling party could select a priority tag to beattached to the caller identification information indicating that thecall is low, medium, or high priority. The called party could alsochoose a medium or combination of media prior to placing a call toindicate to the called party the media expectation of the calling party.If, for example, the calling party requests a voice and video call, thecalled party would be apprised of this context information.

[0026] The calling party could also select the synchronicity of thecommunication event, which would indicate to the called party whetheractive participation was required. For example, the calling party couldselect a voice call as the medium and then select an asynchronous event.This voice call would then be delivered as a one-way communication whichwould not require the called party to “connect.” The context informationcould also include an option for acknowledgment of receipt from thecalled party.

[0027] In addition, the calling party could select an option whereby thecalled party is asked if he is willing to share the cost of a broadbandconnection. This option could be useful with service providers whocharge for the medium based on time and/or bandwidth usage. The calledparty, then would decide whether to accept the communication and, thus,pay a share of the costs. This type of standard option would be tiedinto the service provider's billing records.

[0028] As a final example, the calling party could select availabledisposition options of the called party to allow communication closurethat is appropriate to the context of the calling/called party. Forexample. the calling party could attach a “hotline” softkey to give thecalled party one time access to a cell phone line.

[0029] 3. Full Custom Creation

[0030] Full custom creation allows the calling party to add contextinformation created on a per call basis. The context information couldtake a number of forms, depending on the communication medium. Forexample, the calling party could choose to send a custom name for callername delivery, thus replacing the service provider's subscriber name tosomething more specific and appropriate to the context. The callingparty could also send a specific reply request along with instructionsas to how to respond. In addition, the calling party could attach atopic header to the communication event. This topic header could be inthe form of a text message or of a voice announcement played betweenrings of the called party's telephone. As another example, the callingparty could send information indicating the expected demand on thecalled party. The expected demand could be, for example, an indicationof the estimated time required to complete the communication event.

[0031] The calling party could also attach a computer file as part offull custom creation of context identification. This type of informationis very flexible and valuable in establishing an exact context for thecall and can even ensure that supporting documentation or other media isavailable with the caller identification information. Suppose, forexample, that the called party receives a call from John Doe at a NewYork number. Unless the called party knows John Doe, this informationalone does not help the called party decide whether to answer the call.If, however, John Doe has attached context information indicating thatthe call is about insurance renewal and has included a text copy of thecurrent policy, the called party will likely accept the call. Withoutthis context information, the called party may have dismissed the call.

[0032] As a final example, suppose the calling party is placing an orderthrough a mail order number. If the calling party has previously dealtwith the mail order company, he could attach an account or referencenumber to the call, or information concerning the desired purchase. Themail order company, in turn, could use this information to moreefficiently direct and process the incoming call.

[0033] Once the network has gathered context information from one ormore of the above-described sources, it transmits the contextinformation to the called party (step 14). The called party, in turn,decides whether to establish a communications link with the callingparty and indicates his decision to the network (step 15). Thisindication could take different forms depending on the medium ofcommunication. For example, if the called party is using an ADSI phone,he would indicate his desire to connect with the calling party by simplylifting the receiver. If the called party is using a computer tocommunicate over the internet, he would perform the keystrokesappropriate to the internet application. Upon receiving this indicationfrom the called party, the network establishes a link between the calledand calling parties (step 16). On the other hand, if the called partydecides, based on the context information, not to establish a link withthe calling party, the communication event ends.

[0034] B. Called Party Context Identification

[0035] As a complement to calling party context identification, calledparty context identification allows the calling party to determine thecalled party's context before placing the call. The context informationwould enable calling parties to make a more informed decision as towhether to place the call, set a certain priority on the call, select amedium that is appropriate to the called party's context, or chooseother parameters.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 2, called party context information begins witha request from a calling party to establish a communication link with acalled party (step 20). Such a request will be initiated in accordancewith the particular medium of communication, as discussed above inconnection with step 10. Upon receiving this request, the networkgathers context information (steps 21, 22, and 23). Preferably, calledparty context identification can be gathered from one or more of threesources: automatic creation (step 21), standard options selection (step22), and full custom creation (step 23).

[0037] 1. Automatic Creation

[0038] As with calling party context identification, automatic creationrequires no steps by the called party to send context information to acalling party. Instead, the network gathers information alreadyavailable to it. For example, the calling party could receive the nameof the called party before placing the call in order to verify that thephone number is the desired called party.

[0039] The network could also relay location information to the callingparty. For example, the network could include the local subscriber'sname of the locale of the called number, the nearest end officeswitching area of the called number, or the cell site name if the callis to a wireless device. Also, if a wireless device is GPS-compatible,the network can match GPS data to a location translation table. Or,smart room information transmitters in certain rooms or buildings couldprovide specific location information to the network, which the networkcan send as context information to the calling party.

[0040] The network could also provide information regarding theavailable bandwidth or types of media. For example, if the calling partywished to attach a computer file to the call, it may be important toknow the bandwidth available between himself and the desired calledparty. Alternatively, the network could inform the calling party as towhether the desired called party can receive voice calls or video calls.

[0041] 2. Standard Options Selection

[0042] Standard options selection allows the called party to select frompredetermined options as he changes context. To implement this contextinformation, the called party could select a coding scheme. Usingselectable soft-keys, special star codes, menu options, voice commands,or other mechanisms, the called party can choose from the desiredcontext information options.

[0043] For example, the called party could select one of various busyfilters to inform a calling party that the called party does not wish tobe disturbed or will only accept emergency calls. The called party couldalso select context information relating to media preferences. Forexample, even if the called party has both voice and video available tohim, he may only wish to use voice. This information could be sent to acalling party as context information. Other options includesynchronicity preferences, such as synchronous voice only, or standarddisposition options, such as access to voice mail or access to a routedpath.

[0044] 3. Full Custom Creation

[0045] The called party could also create full custom contextinformation. This context information could include, for example,information as to the specific availability of the called party fortypes of communication events. The context information could alsoinclude custom disposition options based on the mutual context of bothcalling parties. For example, the called party could set specialdisposition options based on the identity of the calling party. If thecalling party was the called party's spouse, the called party may wantto make certain disposition options available to the spouse, but not toothers. The called party could also record preset messages that areplayed to the calling party.

[0046] Full custom creation could also be useful where a calling partycalls a mail order company to place an order. The mail order companycould collect information about the calling party including, forexample, the types of products typically purchased, and provide contextinformation that may be useful to the calling party. This could includeinformation about related products or current discounts on productspreviously purchased by the calling party.

[0047] Once the network has gathered context information from one ormore of the above-described sources, it transmits the contextinformation to the calling party (step 24). The calling party, in turn,decides whether to establish a communications link with the called partyand indicates his decision to the network (step 25). This indicationcould take different forms depending on the medium of communication. Forexample, if the calling party is using a telephone, he could indicatehis desire to connect with the called party using, for example, menuoptions provided by the service provider. If the calling party is usinga computer to communicate over the internet, he would perform thekeystrokes appropriate to the internet application. Upon receiving thisindication from the calling party, the network establishes a linkbetween the called and calling parties (step 26). On the other hand, ifthe calling party decides, based on the context information, not toestablish a link with the called party, the communication event ends.

[0048] C. Implementation

[0049] Any of the context information discussed herein, which can be inthe form of audio, text, graphics, video, tactile coding, or anycombination of these, can be linked to the caller identificationsignaling protocol provided by the operating company. The linking isachieved by synchronizing existing or future signaling protocols.

[0050] Specifically, FIG. 3 shows a configuration for implementingvarious types of context information. In the case of automatic creationof calling context information, suppose the calling party on GlobalSystem for Mobility (“GSM”) handset 33 places a call to the called partyon ADSI phone 30. The GSM network 34 identifies the GSM handset 33 withthe name and number of the subscriber, along with GPS coordinates or thecell ID. This information and the call request are routed to the publicswitching telephone network (“PSTN”) 31. Server 32 identifies the calledparty as an ADSI call context subscriber. Server 32 then matches the GPSor cell ID to a location translation table, and sends the subscriberinformation and location information to ADSI phone 30 as part of thecall request. This is done, for example, by synchronizing Bellcore'sexisting TR30/31 CLASS protocol, which describes how to send name andnumber identification, with the delivery of text-based information usingBellcore's TR1273 ADSI protocol.

[0051] For automatic creation of called party context information,suppose the called party is on GSM handset 33 and is a subscriber to thecall context feature. The calling party places a call to GSM handset 33on ADSI phone 30 through PSTN 31. Server 32 requests the name of thecalled party, along with GPS coordinate or the cell ID, from GSM network34. GSM network 34 provides this information to server 32 which, inturn, sends the information to ADSI phone 30 as a text-based message.Using this information, the calling party indicates to server 32 whetherhe wishes to complete the call by, for example, selecting an appropriatesoft-key. If the calling party wishes to complete the call, server 32would place a call request to GSM network 34, and the call wouldcomplete as usual.

[0052] In the case of standard options creation for calling partycontext information, suppose that the calling party, on ADSI phone 30,has subscribed to the call context feature from the local serviceprovider. Using the ADSI protocol, server 32 loads a call contextservice script into the subscriber's ADSI phone 30 via PSTN 31. When thecalling party goes off-hook, the call context options appear assoft-keys. Suppose the calling party initiates a call to a called partyon GSM handset 33. The calling party could select a soft-key indicatingthat he desired a voice connection with the called party. Server 32sends this short message along with the call request information overPSTN 31 to GSM network 34. The called party receives the standard callrequest information from GSM network 34, along with the context message.

[0053] Similarly, for standard options creation for called partyidentification, suppose the called party, on GSM handset 33, is asubscriber to the call context feature. At an earlier time, the calledparty, using menu options or star commands, could select various optionsthat would be stored on server 32. For example, the called party couldselect an option indicating that he can receive only voicecommunications. When the calling party, on ADSI phone 30, places a callto GSM handset 33, server 32 recognizes the called party as a subscriberto the call context feature and provides the pre-selected contextinformation to ADSI phone 30 via PSTN 31. Based on this information, thecalling party indicates to server 32 whether to complete the call byusing, for example, soft-keys on ADSI phone 30.

[0054] In the case of full custom creation calling context, the stepsare the same as in standard options calling context creation, exceptthat the calling party could type a custom message before placing thecall. This message is received by server 32 and interpreted as a callheader. Server 32 then sends the message as a short message through GSMnetwork 34 to the subscriber on GSM handset 33.

[0055] Similarly, full custom creation called context proceeds asdescribed above with respect to standard options called contextcreation, except that the called party could enter a custom message. Forexample, the called party could type in a custom subscriber name inplace of the standard subscriber name stored on server 32. This could bedone, for example, using the lettered numbers on GSM handset 33. Server32 would then send the custom subscriber name to the calling party onADSI phone 30 in place of the standard subscriber name.

[0056] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variousmodifications and variations can be made in the present inventionwithout departing from its spirit or scope. Thus, it is intended thatthe present invention cover the modifications and variations of thisinvention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims andtheir equivalents.

We claim:
 1. A method for augmenting communications over acommunications network comprising the steps of: receiving a request froma calling party to establish a communications link with a called party;gathering context information; providing the gathered contextinformation to the called party; receiving an indication from the calledparty whether to establish the communications link; and establishing thecommunications link between the calling party and the called party ornot based on the indication.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the stepof gathering context information includes the step of gathering contextinformation known to the communications network.
 3. The method of claim2 wherein the step of gathering context information known to thecommunications network includes the step of gathering informationindicating whether the calling party is returning a communication fromthe called party.
 4. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of gatheringcontext information known to the communications network includes thestep of gathering information indicating whether the calling party isusing a network or service provider custom calling feature.
 5. Themethod of claim 2 wherein the step of gathering context informationknown to the communications network includes the step of gatheringinformation indicating the location and local time of the calling party.6. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of gathering contextinformation includes the step of gathering context information from aselection of pre-determined options by the calling party.
 7. The methodof claim 6 wherein the step of gathering context information from aselection of pre-determined options includes the step of gatheringinformation indicating the media expectation of the calling party. 8.The method of claim 6 wherein the step of gathering context informationfrom a selection of pre-determined options includes the step ofgathering information indicating the synchronicity of the communication.9. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of gathering contextinformation includes the step of gathering specific context informationsupplied by the calling party.
 10. The method of claim 9 wherein thestep of gathering specific context information supplied by the callingparty includes the step of gathering a custom name in place of thesubscriber name associated with the calling party.
 11. The method ofclaim 9 wherein the step of gathering specific context informationsupplied by the calling party includes the step of gathering a topicheader.
 12. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of gathering specificcontext information supplied by the calling party includes the step ofgathering a computer file to be attached to the communication.
 13. Themethod of claim 9 wherein the step of gathering specific contextinformation supplied by the calling party includes the step of gatheringinformation indicating the expected demand on the called party.
 14. Amethod for augmenting communications over a communications networkcomprising the steps of: receiving a request from a calling party toestablish a communications link with a called party; gathering contextinformation; providing the gathered context information to the callingparty; receiving an indication from the calling party as to whether toestablish the communications link; and establishing the communicationslink between the calling party and the called party or not based on theindication.
 15. The method of claim 14 wherein the step of gatheringcontext information includes the step of gathering context informationknown to the communications network.
 16. The method of claim 15 whereinthe step of gathering context information known to the communicationsnetwork includes the step of gathering information indicating thelocation and local time of the called party.
 17. The method of claim 15wherein the step of gathering context information known to thecommunications network includes the step of gathering informationindicating the type of media available to the called party.
 18. Themethod of claim 14 wherein the step of gathering context informationincludes the step of gathering context information from a selection ofpre-determined options by the calling party.
 19. The method of claim 18wherein the step of gathering context information from a selection ofpre-determined options includes the step of gathering informationindicating media preferences of the called party.
 20. The method ofclaim 18 wherein the step of gathering context information from aselection of pre-determined options includes the step of gatheringinformation indicating when the called party does not wish to becontacted.
 21. The method of claim 14 wherein the step of gatheringcontext information includes the step of gathering specific contextinformation supplied by the calling party.
 22. The method of claim 20wherein the step of gathering specific context information supplied bythe calling party includes the step of gathering disposition optionsbased on the identify of the calling party.